Regular Tech gear or Rebreather?

[decompression]

Like most way back when, I started tec as OC back mount. Did rebreather (too much $$$ for me to continue) and now sidemount. I wished there was something that could have taken me from point A to point B. So now many years later with the creation of Unified Team Diving you can start OC (back or sidemount) and progress to sidemount or back mount CCR. The gear is very similar all the way through so it allows you familiarity and simplicity (save money) as you increase your skills. Ya, I'm a fan and wished it was around when I started.

 

[opie]

Thank you for all the replies. They were very helpful,as i was under the impression it was an either or type deal. After reading i will most likely being going OC. I guess now i need to start thinking conventional or side mount

 

[DevonDiver]

If you're specifically planning to wreck dive, then it's worth considering the type of wreck diving that most appeals to you.

CCR is great for the deeper stuff..both duration and helium costs, but will generally limit your capacity to penetrate. Sidemount, on the other hand, will open up much more of the wreck's internal structure for exploration. Backmount OC falls somewhere in-between... very generalist.

Personally, I've enjoyed the transition to sidemount the most. It opened up new experiences and opportunities on wrecks I've previously dived on many occasions. Most of the wrecks on my doorstep are relatively shallow - so sidemount is an ideal choice for me. I also love wriggling in tight spaces.

CCR would open up deeper, exploratory dives further afield... but the logistics of getting the kit and gas to those places makes that a rare issue for me. I simply wouldn't use CCR enough to justify the investment at the moment - although it'd be great to have that capability.

When I do travel, sidemount means convenience and cost-effectiveness. What CCR saves in helium bills, it more than compensates for in travelling cost, especially if flying.

 

[usmarinekurt]

i have searched and searched for the answer/opinions on this,to no avail.
So on to my question.....I am looking at getting into tech diving for the reason of diving wrecks. I am up in the air about equipment selection. Since i will be purchasing all new tech gear i was wondering if it would be feasible to look into starting out on a rebreather or spending tons of money on conventional gear and later deciding to sell off my kids to purchase more gear(rebreather)?

I'm not lecturing you
with 99 dives you have just begun to scratch the surface.
Take your time. Dive your limit and get a whole lot more experience.
haste makes waste and complacency kills

 

[opie]

I'm not lecturing you
with 99 dives you have just begun to scratch the surface.
Take your time. Dive your limit and get a whole lot more experience.
haste makes waste and complacency kills

Understood and well taken. Although i wouldn't be considering tech if i didn't feel competent enough to be very thorough in all aspects of it. For i am very aware that stupidity and being hard headed will cause you to be pushing up daisies. And as for the haste makes waste,thats why i am gathering as much info as i can before i go and drop a ton of money on tech gear and then realize,oh wow i should have bought this instead or not liking it all together. There again i value and appreciate your opinion and i understand what your saying.

DevonDiver,
Most of the wrecks i would be diving are off the coasts of North and South Carolina.

 

[DCBC]

I agree, with less than 100 dives, I'd get more experience before diving a deep wreck on Helium, regardless of the delivery system. When you're ready, I'd suggest staying with O/C at first. Although CCR can save you a ton of money in Helium costs, CCR is far less forgiving than OC. Deep diving presents a learning curve. This is then complicated by diving a wreck at an increased depth. Rather than adding the additional tasking that a CCR presents, progress slowly adding depth and more complicated penetrations. Once you're ready to make the switch to CCR, you can focus on this task, eventually increasing your depth. There's no hurry, so slow down.

Diving can be analogous to riding a motorcycle. Don't make the mistake that so many newly licensed riders make by buying too much bike for there abilities. It's a recipe for an accident. Take it slow...

i have searched and searched for the answer/opinions on this,to no avail.
So on to my question.....I am looking at getting into tech diving for the reason of diving wrecks. I am up in the air about equipment selection. Since i will be purchasing all new tech gear i was wondering if it would be feasible to look into starting out on a rebreather or spending tons of money on conventional gear and later deciding to sell off my kids to purchase more gear(rebreather)?

 

[mathauck0814]

What CCR saves in helium bills, it more than compensates for in travelling cost, especially if flying.

I'll go ahead and disagree here. My unit travels as a carry-on. You pack your tanks in your checked bags (if you can't get them wherever you're going) and have a canister of sorb delivered ahead of you. When your friends get their $1000+ Helium bill at the end of the week and you pay for yours with $20 bills it's suddenly worth the "hassle". I haven't been at it very long, but I haven't had any issue moving the machine around.

---------- Post Merged at 02:11 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 02:08 PM ----------

Understood and well taken. Although i wouldn't be considering tech if i didn't feel competent enough to be very thorough in all aspects of it. For i am very aware that stupidity and being hard headed will cause you to be pushing up daisies. And as for the haste makes waste,thats why i am gathering as much info as i can before i go and drop a ton of money on tech gear and then realize,oh wow i should have bought this instead or not liking it all together. There again i value and appreciate your opinion and i understand what your saying.

DevonDiver,
Most of the wrecks i would be diving are off the coasts of North and South Carolina.

Honestly, the equipment is not the big purchase - training will cost you as much as the equipment did. On top of that, you'll be chartering boats that recreational divers can't go on, so you'll be looking at limited loads that cost a lot more than you're normally paying. Tech diving is not an inexpensive venture. If cost is a constraint you might want to rethink your interest in it entirely. Nickle rocket divers cut corners and are likely to get themselves killed.

 

[usmarinekurt]

Dive for a few years ,then you will know what you want ...if anything

 

[Hepcat62]

Personally, I've enjoyed the transition to sidemount the most. It opened up new experiences and opportunities on wrecks I've previously dived on many occasions. Most of the wrecks on my doorstep are relatively shallow - so sidemount is an ideal choice for me. I also love wriggling in tight spaces.

There are certainly things going on in the UTD world that I'm not necessarily a fan of, but I had the opportunity to dive with somebody using their MX-Z rebreather setup, which is basically a KISS canister with sidemounted dil/o2/bailout tanks. As I understand it, the canister itself can also be sidemounted, although my buddy had it backmounted on a plate. To my relatively untrained eye, I have to say that it seemed like a very functional setup, and (unlike in OC sidemount) in the rebreather case the z-manifold doesn't seem to actually add any significant new failures points on top of a more traditional setup.

Might be worth a look.

 

[HIGHwing]

What CCR saves in helium bills, it more than compensates for in travelling cost, especially if flying.

That's just not true for me. My CCR goes carry on - no problem. I forward deploy scrubber and tanks - no problem and I can do Trimix dives for cheeeeeep.